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“You… you filmed us?” The blood drained from my face.
A slow smirk spread across his face, winding me as I realized he wasn’t taunting me. That this wasn’t some sick joke. “I wanted to keep you. Forever.”
“Kane.” I shoved my hands into his chest, pushing him away, but he was so big. And strong.
Too strong.
“I’ll make it good, baby. I’ll make it so good.” His hands were on my body, clawing and grabbing. Tears rolled down my face as his mouth attacked me. My neck. My breasts. I clamped my knees together, resisting, fighting him, but he was overpowering. Feral. His fingers ripped at my panties underneath my skirt. Scratching my flesh, he left a burning pain in their wake.
Ugly sobs filled the air, swirling with his heavy pants and groans. I didn’t want this.Neverthis. But I was paralyzed with fear—with shame. The sound of his belt buckle unfastening propelled me into action, and I made one last attempt to fight him off. My knee connected hard with his groin, and a pained grunt whooshed from his body. But it wasn’t enough.
His free hand wrapped around my throat and held me prisoner against the wall. “Fuck, I’m so hot for you.” His movements eased, a look of horrifying euphoria washing over him. I wasn’t even sure Kane was in control of himself. It was as if he’d been completely taken over by something.
My hands flattened against the wall, bracing myself for the inevitable, when I felt it. The lamp cord. Without thinking about it, I pulled gently, sliding my hand up, working the cord through my grasp until my fingers grazed the base. It was one of those ugly Art Deco pieces with a long bronze body and stained-glass shade. I reached farther, my fingers stretched to breaking point.
It happened so fast.
I felt Kane’s bare erection against my thigh and then he was staggering back with blood oozing from his head. I hit him again, swinging the lamp high and wide. His body crumpled in a bloody heap, and I slid down the wall, my shredded clothes pooled around my body.
Tears streamed down my face as Kane pressed his lips gingerly against mine and whispered, “I came home for you, baby. We never have to be apart again.”
CHAPTER32
EVAN
I leftthe O’Hare’s in a daze. I couldn’t wrap my head around any of it. Kendall had broken down, speaking faster than I could keep up. Her attempt to ruin Becca wasn’t random—some campaign of jealousy because Becca had grown up with a better life than us. No, it all came down to family and the things you’d do for them. I knew all about that. I did things to shelter Eli from a life he should never have to grow up in. But, Jesus, where was the line?
Apparently for Kendall, the buck stopped with her. Things had gotten out of control, and she no longer felt safe. It didn’t matter that she’d tried to ruin Becca, Lilly and Jay, and Scarlett’s lives; they were disposable. But when it no longer felt like a game, she’d panicked… and she’d wanted out.
But it was too late.
He was here, in Credence. Kane Larson was here, and he had Becca.
I’d wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her, but I saw it in her eyes: the guilt, the realization that she’d fucked up. I felt no sympathy for her, not after what she’d done to Becca, to Becca’s friends, but I wasn’t cruel either. We might have been family, but Kendall and I were cut from a different cloth. She lacked empathy and had a cold heart. But one day, she’d have to pay for her sins.
I just hoped today wasn’t that day.
I’d left her crying into her hands and got the hell out of there with one thought in mind. Find Becca. Kendall said there were only three places he’d take her. Rogues, the old water plant on the outskirts of town, or his childhood home. It was almost ten, which meant Becca had been gone for at least three hours. I drove straight to Rogues. I knew it was unlikely he’d be there, but kids were always hanging around, so maybe they’d seen something.
They hadn’t.
I’d left with a sinking feeling in my chest. The water plant was on the other side of town, and his childhood home was in a neighborhood near the school. I couldn’t cover both. I needed help. So I’d left Rogues and headed straight to Becca’s house.
I sat outside their house, knuckles white from the iron tight grip on the wheel. What was I supposed to say to them?
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, slamming my fists against the leather. There wasn’t any time to waste. Not if Kane was as unstable as Kendall made out. We needed to find Becca before something happened… if it hadn’t already.
Clamping my eyes shut, I inhaled a shaky breath. She would be fine. She had to be.
Just as I opened the door, a truck pulled onto the drive.
“Evan?” Mr. Torrence climbed out. He took one look at my face and said, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I think Kane Larson took Becca.” God, I was going to puke.
Mr. Torrence staggered back, the blood draining from his face, and propped himself up on the car door. “No. He isn’t… He can’t be…”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. This was not a conversation I’d ever planned on having with the father of the girl I’d fallen in love with.
